Gaming Guru

What is better?

You are a casino player. You are aware that the house has the edge on every bet that you can make. You are aware that very few players ever beat the casinos in the long run. (This column is not about them.)

But you do enjoy playing. You enjoy testing yourself against Lady Luck. Yes, sure, the casino has the edge. Is there anything you can do about that, even in a little way?

Indeed there is. In just about every game, there are better and worse ways to play the game, better and worse strategies and methods of selecting what random games within which you should engage your money.

Let me give you some examples of the various concepts mentioned in the above paragraph.

Better and worse ways to play the game:

If you are a craps player, which system of betting will give you the best chance to win over time or more likely to lose less over time? You like to place bets such as the 4, 5, 9 and 10. You face a house edge of 6.67% on the 4 and 10; while you face a house edge of 4% on the 5 and 9. You expectation is to lose $6.67 per $100 wagered on the 4 and/or 10; with an expected loss of $4 per $100 wagered on the 5 and/or 9.

Now let’s look at the player who is making the pass line or come bets (you can use the math here also for don’t pass and don’t come bets which arrive with an very slightly lower house edge). The house edge is 1.41%. That means for every $100 wagered on any of these bets, your expectation is to lose $1.41.

That 1.41% is some big difference than the place bets is it not? What about the players who make even more outrageous bets than the place bets? Some of those bets have expectations of losing $9, $11, $16.67 per $100 wagered on them.

Seriously, what betting method gives you the best chance for winning or losing less?

2. You play a personal version of basic strategy, which is the computer-derived strategy for every hand you get against the dealer’s up card.

3. You play perfect basic strategy for the game you choose to play.

The results? Your intuition in #1 is out the window. Casinos figure these players will lose approximately 2% of all the money they bet at the game. That’s $2 for every $100 wagered.

If you play a (kind of) version of basic strategy, the casinos estimate that you will lose approximately 1% of all the money you wager. That’s $1 per $100 wagered.

Our champion will be the individual who uses the perfect basic strategy for the game he chooses to play. Casinos estimate that at 0.5% (more or less) of a house edge. That comes to a loss of 50 cents per $100 wagered.

So what’s the best strategy to play blackjack? Need you ask?

So what are you going to do?

What I have given above is merely the shadowy skeleton of how to approach casino games. You do have to take into consideration the speeds of various games as well as the house edges on each. You have to take into consideration whatever down time exists in the various games (down time is good for the player, such as when dealers are shuffling the cards).

But anyone can clearly see that there are better and worse ways to approach casino games. So which approach are you going to choose?

Frank Scoblete’s new books are “I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps”; “Confessions of a Wayward Catholic” and “I Am a Card Counter: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Blackjack.” All available from Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and at bookstores.

This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net.

Frank Scoblete is the #1 best selling gaming author in America. His newest books are Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines; Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Pai Gow Poker!; Beat Blackjack Now: The Easiest Way to Get the Edge; Casino Craps: Shoot to Win!; Cutting Edge Craps: Advanced Strategies for Serious Players; Casino Conquest: Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games! and The Virgin Kiss.

Frank and Casino City Times columnist Jerry "Stickman" teach private lessons in dice control. Frank's books are available at Amazon.com, in bookstores or by mail order. Call 1-800-944-0406 or write to Frank Scoblete Enterprises, PO Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565. Frank can also be reached by email at fscobe@optonline.net.

Frank Scoblete Websites:

Books by Frank Scoblete:

Frank Scoblete is the #1 best selling gaming author in America. His newest books are Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines; Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Pai Gow Poker!; Beat Blackjack Now: The Easiest Way to Get the Edge; Casino Craps: Shoot to Win!; Cutting Edge Craps: Advanced Strategies for Serious Players; Casino Conquest: Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games! and The Virgin Kiss.

Frank and Casino City Times columnist Jerry "Stickman" teach private lessons in dice control. Frank's books are available at Amazon.com, in bookstores or by mail order. Call 1-800-944-0406 or write to Frank Scoblete Enterprises, PO Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565. Frank can also be reached by email at fscobe@optonline.net.

Books by Frank Scoblete:

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